What is the difference between wasp and bee

We see them flying around us and we always try to avoid them to avoid their bites. Wasps and bees are two insects that, in appearance, may seem like faces, especially because of their buzz and the color of their bodies, but in reality they are very different both in their behavior, in their attitude and in their cycle of lifetime. So you know what the difference between wasp and bee is reading this article because we are going to discover them indicating the behavior of each of this species as well as other remarkable aspects that are worth knowing.

The bees

Before talking about the differences between wasps and bees, we will specifically talk about each one of these animals to understand them in depth. Bees are anthophiles, hymenoptera insects that belong to the apoidea family.

The bees are responsible for collecting the pollen from the flowers and their nectar, so they can store it in the hives; Honey bees are the ones that have the ability to create honey themselves. The reason they can collect all these substances is due to the intrinsic characteristics of their body because, in their legs, they are like baskets that allow them to store the pollen they collect.

There are different types of bees, but most are usually light brown with black stripes and, in the distance, this brown can be similar to a yellowish tone, which is why they can be confused with wasps.

At the level of social behavior, bees are very sociable animals that live in very large hives that are usually built on trees. Within this society we find that the estates are very well defined and, as with the ants, the queen bee is the one in charge of managing the work that the workers develop inside the hive.

They are very peaceful animals that will not attack you (they will bite) unless they feel threatened. Also, bees die if they sting you because they have the sting stuck in your body and they are unable to live without that part of their body. So they will not bite you because they will but they will only do so when they really feel in danger.

The bees

On the other hand we find wasps, insects that, unlike bees, are predators, that is, they attack to eat and survive. But, in addition, these animals do not produce honey and usually live in combs, not in hives, since the objective of these places is simply to be sheltered and have a place to live and reproduce, but not to create honey.

Due to its predatory nature, wasps are more aggressive and, for this reason, have a thinner, stylized and larger body. The color of his body usually moves on warm scales such as yellow, light brown, amber and, always, combined with black stripes.

Their behavior among them is not as sociable as in the case of bees because they have to survive and hunt different insects to feed, for this reason, they are more uncouth and have a greater instinct for competitiveness and survival among them. When they sting, the wasps do not die nor do they remain stingless.

In this article we tell you what to do if a wasp stings you so that you know the first aid you should follow.

Key differences between bees and wasps

So, once both insects have been studied to fully enter the differences between wasps and bees to summarize and compare all the information we have collected.

  • On the one hand, we have that the wasps are bigger than the bees. In addition, the first ones do not have hair and the bees do.
  • The bees are responsible for producing honey, while the wasps are not.
  • The place where the bees live with beehives that they themselves build, while the wasps live in combs where they also live.
  • Wasps are more aggressive animals because they are predators, that is, they have to feed on insects to survive; the bees are much more sociable and in the hives they have well defined the rank of each one (the queen and the workers).
  • At the time of the sting, the bee loses its sting (which stays in your body) and, therefore, dies; Wasps do not die after you bite.
  • Wasps hibernate, therefore, in cold weather we do not usually see them in the environment; however, the bees do not and continue throughout the year collecting honey.

Anyway, you get bitten the one that bites you, the truth is that the stings produce intense pain and inflammation that must be treated. If this is your case, we recommend you read our home remedies for wasp stings and bee stings, in order to alleviate the discomfort.